PIP mobility for unsafe travel ability

Yes, you can. This is one of the most misunderstood aspects of PIP. The mobility component is not simply about whether you can physically walk. It is assessed across two activities, and the one most relevant to your situation is Activity 12, which deals with planning and following journeys.

Activity 12: Planning and following journeys

This activity looks at your ability to plan and follow a route to an unfamiliar place. It covers cognitive, psychological, and sensory difficulties, not just physical ones. The descriptors are scored as follows:

1. Can plan and follow the route of a journey unaided — 0 points
2. Needs prompting to be able to undertake any journey to avoid overwhelming psychological distress to the claimant — 4 points
3. Cannot plan the route of a journey — 8 points
4. Cannot follow the route of an unfamiliar journey without another person, an assistance dog, or an orientation aid — 10 points
5. Cannot undertake any journey because it would cause overwhelming psychological distress to the claimant — 10 points
6. Cannot follow the route of a familiar journey without another person, an assistance dog, or an orientation aid — 12 points

To qualify for the standard rate of the mobility component you need 8 points from the two mobility activities combined. For the enhanced rate you need 12 points.

What counts as being unable to travel safely:

The assessment should consider whether you can complete a journey safely, to an acceptable standard, repeatedly, and within a reasonable time. If you can technically walk and navigate but doing so puts you at risk, for example because of disorientation, seizures, severe anxiety, panic attacks, cognitive impairment, sensory loss, or a tendency to become confused or distressed, that is directly relevant.

Conditions that commonly support a claim under Activity 12 include anxiety disorders, agoraphobia, autism, learning disabilities, acquired brain injury, epilepsy, visual impairment, and many others. The key question is the practical effect on your ability to get from one place to another, not the diagnosis itself.

Important practical points:

When completing the PIP2 form (the "How your disability affects you" questionnaire), describe in detail what actually happens when you try to travel. Explain what goes wrong, what risks arise, what help you need, and what happens on your worst days. Give real examples. Explain how often the difficulties occur and whether they happen on the majority of days.

Do not understate the position. Many claimants instinctively describe their best days. The assessment is meant to reflect your typical experience, taking bad days properly into account.

If you are refused or given fewer points than you believe is right, you have the right to request a mandatory reconsideration and then appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (Social Entitlements Chamber). Success rates at tribunal are high, particularly where the claimant provides good written evidence and attends the hearing.

Supporting evidence such as letters from GPs, consultants, community mental health teams, or support workers describing your travel difficulties can be very helpful, both at the initial claim stage and on appeal.

So in short, the fact that you can walk does not prevent you from scoring points on mobility. If you cannot travel safely or independently because of the effect of a health condition or disability, you may well qualify.